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He might grumble and pretend to be upset whenever Liam calls him to act as his personal chauffeur, but deep down, he actually enjoys it.
Not just because he gets to use his only asset now, his Baby, the best truck on the face of the earth. It has to be, considering all the bullet holes and rough terrain it has been through.
And not just because it makes him feel useful too, like he has a place, no matter how small. It might not be a place in the pack, but it's a place by Liam’s side, and that certainly means a lot.
Mostly, he enjoys it because, no matter how annoying Liam can get, he likes to be around him. He grounds him, makes things real. Makes Theo feel real.
Makes Theo feel. It is a dangerous thing to be playing with, he knows it, but it feels too good to just let go. Not when it is the only bright thing in this darkness he calls life.
So here he is, again, driving Liam, and his friends to a party on the outskirts of the town. They are laughing and shooting jokes and annoying the living daylights out of him, but he doesn’t dare say a thing. Maybe it's because he secretly likes it too.
“Oh, oh, this is a good song!!” Liam exclaims and turns up the volume on the radio player. (He kept promising to make Theo an USB drive full of songs, to educate him on what the right music is, but hasn't done that thus far). Then he starts singing, obnoxious and loud, while everyone in the back spur him on.
“What's love got to do, got to do with it? What's love but a second-hand emotion?”
He keeps at it, making dramatic faces at Theo and waving his hands around.
“What's love got to do, got to do with it? Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?!”
Right. Who needs a heart?
That particular line strikes a nerv, but Liam doesn’t seem to notice, so Theo tries not to react, just attempts to focus on what Liam says next. Not that he doesn’t know this one, he's heard it here and there a million times, but he never really focused on the lyrics before.
“It may seem to you that I'm acting confused, when you're close to me…” Liam sings, goofing off, even pointing at Theo, like he’s part of this too.
“If I tend to look dazed, I've read it someplace, I've got cause to be…”
And then he trails off. Something in his face flickers for a moment and Theo thinks he sees a small blush appear on his face, but he can’t see for sure. His chemo signals are definitely off.
Yet, where he left off, the back of the truck picks up. Alec, Mason and Nolan start shouting the next part, laughing like crazy, while Corey just sits there, squished to the window, smiling.
“There's a name for it!!”
“There's a phrase that fits!!”
“But whatever the reason, you do it for me!!!!”
Liam’s heart rate spikes, annoyance seeping into his scent as he turns away and faces the window. It feels like he is pouting, but over what, Theo has no clue.
The rest of the gang keeps on singing.
“OHHHH, WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO, GOT TO DO WITH IT…”